


Be Mine

by dani_grl82



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-11
Updated: 2016-02-11
Packaged: 2018-05-19 16:33:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5974186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dani_grl82/pseuds/dani_grl82
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Klaus and Caroline have always been there for each other, especially when Valentine's Day rolls around.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Be Mine

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kcer4life](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kcer4life/gifts).



> For Natalie aka kcer4life: I hope this is close to what you had in mind! And i hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day <3
> 
> Written for the Klaroline Valentine's Day Gift Exchange

Caroline Forbes loved holidays. She loved the feeling she got when she got to dress up as someone new for Halloween or that rush when she got a gift at Christmas time. No matter the holiday, she embraced them wholeheartedly. Her favorite holiday though had always been Valentine’s Day. For as long as she could remember, she’d loved all the pomp and circumstance that went along with the celebration of love. As a small child her father had always been her Valentine. He’d buy her a single red rose and deliver it to her first thing in the morning, begging her to be his Valentine. She’d giggle and say, “Of course, Daddy!” 

When she was a bit older, and her father had left her and her mom to pursue a different life, Caroline never let it affect her enjoyment of the holiday. Throughout elementary school and into middle school her enjoyment never waned. It wasn’t until Mrs. Nelson’s homeroom in 7th grade that the celebration of the day truly bothered her. 

Caroline always made her own Valentine’s cards for her friends. She’d always been crafty and would spend the whole weekend before the holiday pasting and cutting and glittering cards for the people she cared most about. Her mother was always delighted and hung her creations on the fridge and her friends were always amazed when they received their personalized cards and treats.  That year though, Caroline was creating something extra special. They’d had two new families move to Mystic Falls that year, the Salvatores and the Mikaelsons. Caroline was friendly with the younger Mikaelson twins Rebekah and Kol, but she was much more interested in the youngest Salvatore, Stefan. He was everything her young heart could desire and she thought the perfect way to get his attention was by making him the perfect Valentine’s Day card. She’d spent weeks agonizing over what to say on it and what kind of treat she should make for him. She’d eventually asked her mom to help her make some of her famous fudge for everyone, being sure to save the biggest, nicest looking piece for Stefan along with his card which she considered a work of art. 

To her dismay, after she handed him his present in class that morning, he glanced at it, said a quick “Thanks” before tossing it on his desk and heading over to Elena’s desk to give her the Valentine he’d brought for her. Caroline had been heartbroken. To make matters worse, aside from her friends, no one had gotten her anything. She watched as Elena gushed over her cards from both Stefan and Matt Donovan while Bonnie had gifts from Elena’s younger brother (who wasn’t even in their class for Christ’s sake) and from Kol. She asked to go to the restroom and spent the rest of homeroom crying in the girls’ bathroom. 

By the time lunch rolled around she had her emotions mostly under control. At least until Stefan came up to their table and asked Elena if she wanted to go for a walk outside before the bell rang. Elena accepted without a backwards glance, asking Caroline to bring her book bag to their next class wIth her. Caroline had never been a violent person, but just then she wanted to take Elena’s beautiful, smug face and slam it into the lunch table. 

“Ugh, it’s not fair you guys,” Caroline complained to her other two lunch companions Bonnie and Rebekah. “I’m the one who’s been obsessed with him all year. I’m the one who went out of my way to make him something. She just bought a box of cards at Walgreens.”

“I know it sucks, Care, but you can’t help who he likes. Besides, there are plenty more fish in the sea,” Bonnie told her, trying to offer some comfort.

“She’s right you know,” Rebekah said. “You need to forget about him and move on. Besides, you’re a thousand times better than Elena is.” Caroline was surprised by her candor; Rebekah was a bit of mean girl and never went out of her way to comfort anyone. And though she was thankful for their kind words, she wasn’t ready to give up her pity party yet. 

“That’s easy for you guys to say, you both got Valentines from people. You know what i got? Nothing. Not a single card or box of chocolates from anyone. And before you say it, cards from you guys don’t count,” she looked pointedly at Bonnie when she said this.

“Bekah, I’ve been looking for you.”

The girls turned towards the boy now standing at their table, finding Rebekah’s older brother Klaus. He had the same accent and the same blue eyes and blonde hair as Bekah did but Caroline had never gotten butterflies in her stomach when looking at Rebekah. She’d only spoken to him once at the twins’ birthday party earlier in the school year and even then it had just been to ask where the kitchen was when she’d gotten lost in their house during the party. And now there he stood, witness to her humiliating rambling. She felt the blood rush to her cheeks and knew she was blushing (had he heard her? Did he think she was pathetic? Was that him who smelled so good?) but his focus was solely on his sister. 

“I wanted to let you know not to wait for me after school. I’ve got a project I’ve got to stay after and work on.”

“Oh Nik, you know Kol acts up when you’re not there to keep him in line.”

“Well I don’t know what to tell you Bekah, I don’t really have a choice.”

“Fine, but if he accidently falls into a ravine and dies it’s not my fault.”

“That’s the spirit. See you at home for dinner. Bonnie,” he nodded in Bonnie’s direction before turning to gaze at her. “Caroline. It’s been a pleasure.”

“Bye Nik,” Rebekah told him somewhat annoyed he’d tried to use his charm on her friends. He smirked before taking off, leaving the girls to discuss their upcoming history project. Caroline dismissed the funny feeling he’d created in her stomach and chalked it up to her emotions running high from earlier. 

She didn’t spare him another thought until the end of the day when she stopped by her locker to grab her things before heading home. When she opened the door an envelope fell out and landed at her feet. It was red and had her name written in a lovely script on the front. Her heart started to race as she bent down to pick it up. She traced the outside, following the curves of her name with her fingertip. Wondering who it could be from she turned it over and pulled open the top flap. Inside was a simple handmade card with the words “Be Mine” written on it. It was by no means the most glamorous card she’d ever received, nor the most creative. But right then and there it was the most beautiful thing Caroline had ever seen. She gasped and brought her hand to her mouth, tears springing to her eyes. There was no name on the front but when she turned it over, there in the bottom right hand corner were the words “Love, Klaus”. She should have been embarrassed since he’d clearly heard her complaining about her lack of Valentines, but instead she was truly touched that he’d taken the time to do something so nice for her. 

She knew she needed to see him; she had to thank him for his thoughtful gift. She knew he was staying after school but she wasn’t sure where he might be. Caroline started to make her way through the hallways, now mostly empty due to the late hour. She got lucky and found him in one of the art rooms not too far from her locker. Klaus was painting something but she couldn’t see what it was as the canvas was facing away from the door. He turned when she entered the room, his frown from concentrating transforming into a smirk.

“Caroline. To what do I owe the honor?” he asked, twisting and placing his artist pallet on the table next to him before turning back to face her fully.

“Hi Klaus,” Caroline said. She lost her train of thought momentarily as she stared into his blue eyes.  _ Had they always been that blue _ , she wondered? Shaking off the thought, she continued, “Um, I just wanted to say thank you for my Valentine. I guess you heard me complaining to Bonnie and Rebekah and I know that makes me super pathetic -”

“Pathetic is the last word I would ever use to describe you, Caroline. Smart, funny, cute, tenacious… I think those words are much more on par. And if those wankers in your class can’t see that, then that speaks to how pathetic they are, not you.”

She was at a loss for words, which is not something that Caroline was accustomed to. She felt tears prick her eyes and she averted her gaze until she felt she had a better grasp on her emotions. 

“That’s maybe the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”

“Just don’t tell Kol or Bekah what I said. I’ll never hear the end of it.”

She laughed along with him at this, feeling more at ease with him than she had ever felt with another person. She asked him what he was working on and he invited her over to look at the canvas. She ended up sticking around and chatting with him while he finished up his project. They walked home together after, with Klaus walking her up to her porch. She promised to bring him something as a thank you for her card but he told her it wasn’t necessary.

“What are friends for?”

“Is that what we are now? Friends?” Caroline asked him.

“I’d like to think so. I did give you the world’s greatest Valentine afterall.”

She laughed but couldn’t deny it. “That’s true you did. Ok, friends then.” She ignored that little voice inside her head that tried to insist they could be more. 

“Friends it is,” Klaus said. Caroline would tell herself later that she imagined the slight tension in his voice at the word ‘friend.’ He bid her farewell and started his trek home. She watched him until he disappeared down the street before heading inside.  

* * *

 

From that day forward, she and Klaus became almost inseparable. While she was still close with Rebekah and especially Bonnie, when push came to shove, there was little doubt Klaus was her best friend. And every year without fail he always gave her a Valentine’s Day card and always with the words “Be Mine” on it. 

There were no more disastrous incidents on Valentine’s Day until her senior year. She’d been dating Tyler Lockwood since September of their junior year and she’d never been happier. As head cheerleader it was only right that she be dating the quarterback. So maybe Tyler would never be a scholar, but he was nice to look at and Caroline enjoyed the perks that came along with dating him.

The only real spot of contention was Klaus. Tyler didn’t understand how it was possible for them to be friends without jumping each other’s bones; no matter how many times Caroline assured him there was nothing going on, he never really seemed to believe her. So when Tyler started hanging out with with some of the stoner kids, specifically one named Hayley, she went out of her way to act like it didn’t bother her. 

Two days before the Valentine’s Day Dance, Caroline was out dress shopping with Rebekah (she was brutal but honest about how something looked on Caroline) when she spotted Tyler and Hayley walking around downtown together. She told herself it was fine but something about how they were walking together and leaning into each other set off alarms bells. She tried to put it out of her mind but when they were leaving the boutique, Caroline asked Rebekah if she’d mind driving her by Tyler’s house. 

When they pulled up outside, Caroline told Rebekah she could head home but Rebekah refused, saying she didn’t mind waiting. The fact that Rebkah could sense something was off too did nothing for the churning in Caroline’s stomach. No one in Mystic Falls ever locked their doors, so she was met with no resistance as she entered the house. 

The main part of the house was silent, no noise coming from either the kitchen or the living room. She peaked out into the backyard but didn’t see anyone. That only left her with one last place to look. As she climbed the stairs to his bedroom, she told herself she was being ridiculous. There was no way Tyler would throw away what they had for someone like Hayley. When she peeked into his bedroom though, she almost fell to her knees. 

There was her boyfriend, her first love, the boy she’d given her virginity to, with his pants around his ankles and Hayley lips wrapped around his dick. She must have made some kind of a noise because they were suddenly both looking at her. Ashamed, embarrassed, and heartbroken, she turned around and fled the house. She could hear Tyler calling her name but whatever he had to say she had no desire to hear. She ran out the front door and jumped into Rebekah’s car. She must have had the engine running because as soon as Caroline slammed the door behind her, Rebekah was peeling out of the driveway. She turned to see if Tyler was trying to follow them but Rebekah told her not to worry.

“While you were inside I took the liberty of slashing his tires,” Rebekah informed her. “He won’t be going anywhere for quite some time.” 

“Thanks Bex,” Caroline said, choking back tears. He didn’t deserve her tears, the cheating bastard. “I’m suddenly glad you’re kind of evil.”

“Think nothing of it, darling. He’s just lucky Nik is away at university or else I’d sick him on that rat.”

“Oh god, please tell me you didn’t know.”

“Of course not. I may have suspected he was up to no good but I know you, Caroline. Without any evidence, what were the chances you’d believe me?” 

“You’re right. I didn’t want to see it. I was just so focused on trying to prove to him that guys and girls could be friends without anything going on that I ignored what was right in front of me. Oh my god I’m such an idiot! And the worst part of all of this? I now have to go stag to the dance on Saturday. How lame is that?” 

“So don’t go,” Rebekah suggested. 

“I’m on the stupid dance committee there’s no way I can not be there. Besides, I wouldn’t give Tyler the satisfaction of not showing up.”

“Well, can you ask someone else to go with you?”

“There is no one else. Elena is going with Stefan, you’re going with Matt, and Bonnie is going with Kol. I’d ask Jeremy but he’s been acting like a little shit lately and I don’t have the patience to deal with him, plus I think he’s hooking up with Vicki now anyways... If Klaus were here I’d beg him to go but he’s at school. Ugh, this seriously sucks! I’m gonna murder Tyler.”

“Well I can definitely help you with that,” Rebekah took her eyes off the road momentarily to give her an evil smile, causing Caroline to let out a laugh. 

“I bet you could too. I’m so glad we’re friends otherwise I think we’d be mortal enemies.”

“Oh without a doubt.” They both chuckled before Rebekah focused back on the road. Caroline could feel her phone vibrating in her purse but didn’t bother answering it. She knew who it was and had no desire to speak to him. Rebekah dropped her off at her house, asking Caroline if she’d be all right. Caroline assured her she would - she planned to order a large pizza and eat her weight in ice cream. Rebekah looked pointedly at the garment bag Caroline was carrying and warned her not to eat too much. 

“Ok fine, just one pint of Chubby Hubby,” Caroline promised.

“That’s my girl. Call me if you need help hiding the body.” 

The next day at school was hellish. She’d texted Bonnie and Elena the night before to let them know what happened. Bonnie offered to place a curse on him but Elena suggested she hear Tyler out. Considering Elena was currently caught up with both of the Salvatore brothers, Caroline didn’t really take her seriously. She did give some thought to the curse though. At school both girls, along with Rebekah and Kol, went out of their way to be sure she was never alone in the hallways. When Tyler did finally corner her outside the lunchroom, begging her to listen to him, swearing that it was a mistake and that he was in love with her, she kneed him in the junk and told him to never speak to her again. 

By the end of the day, the whole school was buzzing about their break-up. Most people were on her side but the football team -minus Stefan and Matt -were sending dirty looks in her direction. She didn’t let it bother her, or she tried not to. Truthfully, she was barely holding it together. The night of the dance, she had to reapply her make-up after crying her eyes out when she got a look at herself in her dress.  

She’d planned on riding with Bonnie and Kol and was heading downstairs to meet them when her doorbell rang. Assuming it was them, she grabbed her handbag and her phone from the kitchen before heading to the front door. 

“I can’t believe you guys are early, I figured I’d be stuck waiting -” when she spied who was on her porch though, she froze, the words dying on her lips. 

There, dressed to the nines in a charcoal suit with a black henley underneath, was Klaus. He had his signature smirk on his face and was holding a bouquet of pink peonies. He held the flowers out to her and said, “Hello Caroline.”

She accepted the flowers and couldn’t help but bring them to her nose to breath in their lovely scent. There was a card attached to them and she knew without looking at it what it said. Flipping it over, she saw the words “Be Mine.” She laughed and struggled not to burst into tears again. She looked up at her best friend and returned his smile.

“Klaus, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at school? Not that I’m not happy to see you or anything.”

“I was at school but then I received a call from Rebekah telling me I was needed here. She also said there was a chance I would get to beat the shit out of Tyler, so that was a draw as well.”

“No one is beating the shit out of anyone. Besides I already kicked him in the balls and I found that satisfying enough. Are you really here to take me to the dance?”

“Of course, love. It would be an honor to escort you anywhere.”

Butterflies, ones she hadn’t felt since that long ago day in middle school, started fluttering in her stomach again. She pushed them down though because she knew Klaus had a girlfriend on campus, Cali or Cami or something like that. Caroline recalled she was a psych major and was constantly trying to psychoanalyze him. She didn’t understand the appeal but she kept her thoughts to herself. Regardless, he was hers for the night and she was determined to enjoy herself. She took a moment to put the flowers in some water before taking his outstretched arm and letting him lead her out of the house and off to the dance, where he proceeded to give her the perfect Valentine’s night.

* * *

 

Years past by and things changed. Caroline left Mystic Falls behind and moved to New York City. She’s planned to major in Journalism but found herself gravitating more towards the production side of things. She directed her first play her junior year at Columbia and never looked back. She graduated with her degree in Directing and set about making a name for herself. She was still close with Bonnie and Rebekah, though she rarely had the time to get away and see them. Getting together with Klaus proved even more difficult as he was constantly traveling in order to gain inspiration for his work. He’d become something of a household name in the art world, much to Caroline’s delight. He was insanely talented and deserved all the accolades he’d received. She just wished he lived closer to her so she could see him in person versus over Skype.

The one constant in their relationship though remained his Valentine’s Day card. Every year without fail he always sent her one, along with some kind of gift and always with those same words - “Be Mine.” Last year he’d sent her a lovely, and incredibly expensive, diamond bracelet. She knew better than to tell him it was too much; the Mikaelsons were incredibly well off, and Klaus was making very good money selling his work. So she’d accepted it gracefully and only wore it out on special occasions. 

One of those occasions just happened to be that night. Caroline’s very first short film had been accepted into a film festival and they were having the premier. She’d written and directed the movie and she was immensely proud of it. It was a film about love across time, focusing on one single soul and it’s journey of reincarnation. The only thing that would have made it better is if her friends and family could have attended the premier. Alas, her mom was working and couldn’t get away and as for the rest of her friends, they all had prior engagements. Turns out the festival fell on Valentine’s Day weekend and all her friends had plans. She’d at least hoped that Klaus would somehow make it back, but when Caroline got a hold of him, he’d told her he was going to be stuck in London doing a show. That one had hurt the most.  

The actress she’d cast, Katherine Pierce, had become a close friend of Caroline’s during film school and had quickly agreed to do the movie after reading the script. Kat knew Caroline was nervous about that night and that she didn’t really have anyone who was coming to support her, so she’d come over to Caroline’s so they could head to the premier together.. 

When Kat walked into Caroline’s apartment, the first thing she noticed was the huge bouquet of pink peonies. She shook her head and called out for Caroline. 

“Care, are you ready? The show starts in two hours and it’s gonna take almost that long to get uptown.”

“Coming!” Caroline emerged from her bedroom dressed to the nines in a red cocktail dress, her hair in soft curls surrounding her face. Her only jewelry was the bracelet Klaus had given her last year. Kat raised her eyebrows when she noticed it and gave Caroline an amused look. Caroline rolled her eyes and said, “Don’t start.” 

“Don’t start what? I’m simply admiring the beautiful, extremely expensive bracelet your ‘friend’ gave you, as well as these incredible flowers that no doubt cost a fortune. I only wish my ‘friends’ were so generous.”

“Please Kat, we’ve been over this. Klaus comes from money, so it’s not unusual for him to be a bit extravagant. Besides, we’ve been friends forever and he’s never indicated he wants anything more than friendship. And I don’t even like him like that anyways.”

“Oh sure of course you don’t. Except that I know you better than you think, Care. I know you and you are majorly, butt-crazy in love with him. And he is so in love with you it’s almost pathetic,” Katherine paused in the middle of her now familiar rant to grab the card that was attached to the flowers. “It say ‘Be Mine.’ You don’t put something like that on a card unless you mean you want them to actually be yours.”

Katherine had been saying the same thing ever since sophomore year of college when Klaus had sent her a Parisian care package that included salted caramels, rose salt, a small canvas he’s painted for her of the Eiffel Tower, and a bottle of Chanel #5. Kat had taken one look at the package's contents and was convinced that Klaus was harboring some mad crush on her. And no matter how many times Caroline told Katherine, and herself, that her relationship with Klaus was strictly platonic, Kat refused to believe her and continued to harass Caroline about it whenever the opportunity presented itself. She’d told her about where the “Be Mine” had started but it did nothing to dissuade Katherine Pierce. Tonight though Caroline just didn’t have the energy. 

“Kat, can we table the whole pinning for my best friend thing? I just want to get this over with before I end up throwing up due to my nerves.”

They managed to get uptown with a full half hour to spare. Kat went to grab them seats while Caroline went over the small speech she’d prepared. After she introduced the film, she made her way to her seat. As soon as the lights dimmed she grabbed Katherine’s hand and didn’t let go for the full 40 minute run time. When the credits finished rolling and the lights came back up, the audience erupted in cheers. Caroline turned to Katherine who pulled her into a tight hug before the both of them made their way back up to the stage. There was a twenty minute question and answer session before the crowd began to trickle out of the theater to head to the next scheduled screening. 

Caroline and Katherine exited the theater arm in arm, both giddy from the overwhelmingly positive response Caroline’s movie and Kat’s acting had received. She was just about to ask where they should go to celebrate when a familiar mop of blonde curls caught her eye. 

He was dressed in another dark suit, much like the one he’d worn all those years ago when he’d taken her to a school dance. He had that same smirk on his face too, the one that she’d come to think of as her smirk. She couldn’t help but stare as she tried to figure out if she was hallucinating or not. 

“Hello, Caroline.” When she heard his voice, she realized he was indeed very real and he was standing in front of her instead of thousands of miles away. She heard Kat say something to Klaus and he nodded in her direction before Kat let her arm go. Caroline heard her say something about getting a cab home but she was totally focused on the man in front of her. 

“Klaus, what are you doing here? You’re supposed to be in London.”

“You didn’t really think I’d miss your directing debut, did you?” He moved until he was standing in front of her. 

“But, your showing… shouldn’t you be there?”

“I’ve been to dozens of showings, love. They won’t miss me. Besides, this is where I’m supposed to be tonight. Right here, supporting you. Besides, tomorrow is Valentine's Day and you’re the only woman I can imagine spending it with.”

Caroline couldn’t believe he’d flown across the Atlantic for her at the last minute. And she knew it was last minute because they’d talked on the phone yesterday and he’d been at his brother Elijah’s flat. Suddenly, their shared past started to flash through her mind. 

Like scenes from a movie, it was a montage of all the moments they’d shared, from that first Valentine’s Day to the road trip they went on when she graduated from college. She remembered the time they got drunk and almost kissed, but the morning after they both played it off like it was no big deal. Those damn butterflies were back too, fluttering around in her stomach, and that little voice inside her head that was always telling her that he was the one was now screaming at her. 

Not giving herself a chance to over-think, she threw her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his. She’d kissed plenty of people in her life but none of them compared to this one. His lips were as soft as she’d always imagined, and when he wrapped her in his arms, she could have cried because it felt like she was finally home. 

She let out a laugh that turned into a sob before deepening the kiss, tracing his lips with her tongue, begging entrance. He met her tongue with his own, exploring her mouth like he had all the time in the world. They pulled apart slowly, with Klaus placing one final kiss on her lips before opening his eyes to meet hers. His pupils were blown wide and she was certain hers were the same. The words she’d been holding inside and denying for years came tumbling out. 

“Klaus, I love you. I’m pretty sure I’ve been in love with you since I was 13 years old.”  

“Caroline, my love, I love you more than words can say.” He stroked her hair and then brushed his knuckles across her cheek. She leaned into his touch before turning her head and kissing his palm. He took a deep breath and said, “Be Mine?”

She giggled at his question, tears pricking her eyes. 

“Well you did get me the best Valentine’s Day card ever, so how could I possibly say no?”

He laughed and leaned in for another kiss. She hands started exploring his chest while his hands moved to hips and brought her body flush against his. It was clear immediately that their kisses were affecting him just as much as they were her. 

“Do you want to go back to my place?” she asked. “We’ve got years of sexual frustration to work off.”

“Absolutely, sweetheart. Lead the way.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Jess for looking this over for me! Without you my grammar would be cringeworthy :)


End file.
